Opening Boxes
by Sailor Panda
Summary: Akito comes up with a scheme involving Tohru but gets more than he bargained for. Set immediately after the end of the anime.
1. Week 1: Conception of an Idea

AN: I've had this idea for a long time, since August of last year when I began my other Akito and Tohru centric fic When the Night Falls. But I only got around to starting actually typing this one up because I needed some fuzzier and friendlier Akito/Tohru moments without torture involved. Plus, I'm experimenting again by restricting myself to have all the scenes take place in only one setting without moving from room to room or different locations.  
  
This begins immediately after end of the anime because, well, I had issues with how lots of things were left unresolved, especially since the manga is still running. But the main focus of this will be on Akito and Tohru. (^^)  
  
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WEEK 1: Conception of an Idea  
  
He sat there in the spacious square room, back leaning lightly against the sliding door that separated the interior from the outer gardens. The door was slid open, letting the sunlight of the warm day flood inside while the sounds of nature filtered in. But he paid attention to none of it, staring impassively into the shadows created in the corners of the room that were cast by the light shining in from outside. He was too preoccupied with the events that had transpired in this walled structure just a few short hours before.  
  
Honda Tohru.  
  
Her words to him had been confusing, leaving him unsettled and unsure of what to do, made him doubt himself however briefly. He hated the uncertainty he was feeling; he wasn't used to it and was upset at how unbalanced he felt. It made him restless, feeling as if the walls of the room were boxing him in, pressing down on him. Silently, he cursed all who he believed were responsible for making him feel this way: her, them, and everyone else. A host of emotions ranging from deep calm to angry violence swirled within him relentlessly, giving him no peace until, suddenly, an idea slowly took shape within his mind. As the sky darkened, he continued to mull over the idea, examining it from every angle and liking it immensely the more he thought about it. A cunning smile curled his lips as he rose, arranging the folds of his kimono around him as he headed for the door.  
  
It was time to put his plan into action.  
  
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"Enter."  
  
Tohru did as she was requested, stepping into the room she had visited just yesterday and sliding the door closed behind her. Then, nervously, she drew in a deep breath and turned to the dark-haired figure sitting with his back to her as he faced the open outer doors leading into the garden. The scene looked much like it had the day before except that, this time, she had come alone.  
  
"Come here."  
  
She did as she was told, her pulse pounding with every step as she worried about what it was that he wanted with her. Ever since she had received the phone call from Hatori last night after her encounter with the head of the Souma family, she had been wondering why Akito would ask to see her. None of the reasons she had come up with had been comforting but she had accepted, promising to stop by the next day despite urgings from Kyou and Yuki to decline. Shigure had appeared concerned as well but had said that it was her decision to make and so she had made it. And now she was here after offering her last reassurances to Kyou and Yuki who had protested right up to the time when she left the house. Their concern was understandable in light of what had happened last time but Shigure's added assurances that a repeat wasn't likely to occur so soon had supported her determined declaration that she was going. She felt terrible about worrying them so but also felt that her course of action was the right thing to do since she fretted that she may have been rude to Akito even though she couldn't bring herself to regret what she'd done. Still, if there were consequences from the meeting that she had boldly requested even though she bore no relation to the Soumas, then she had to face them.  
  
"Sit down," he told her once she reached his side.  
  
She sat next to him and flicked a nervous glance at his profile as he stared out into the garden sprawled out before them. His face was as beautiful as ever, she thought, though his expression was calm and gave her absolutely no clues as to why he wanted her here. From the things she'd heard about him so far and her own brief experiences with him, there was reason for her to worry about the purpose of her being here but she resolved to give him the benefit of doubt. But as the silence between them stretched on, she grew nervous and opened her mouth to break the quiet when he spoke first.  
  
"You're wondering why I asked you to come." It was stated, not a question.  
  
She blinked. "Yes."  
  
"It's because of what you said yesterday."  
  
"Oh." Her fingers fiddled with each other anxiously. "I'm sorry if I offended you."  
  
"Not at all." He tilted his head. "Well, maybe a little."  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized again, biting her lip.  
  
He slid a glance towards her and immediately burst out laughing at the distress written across her features. Startled at the carefree sound, she gaped at him, not knowing what to make of this turn of events. Still, she thought it was a nice sound and much preferable to having him upset and yelling at her.  
  
"I'm the one who should apologize," he told her once he'd stopped laughing.  
  
"Eh?!" Her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Really, I should," he said in the face of her astonishment. One hand came up to lightly touch her hair. "After all, I must have hurt you yesterday."  
  
She blushed at the contact. "Not at all," she hastened to reassure, shaking her head vigorously and sending flying strands of her hair sliding across the skin of his upraised hand. "I'm perfectly fine," she stated emphatically.  
  
"That's good to hear," he said, smiling at her. "It would be a shame if I had hurt you terribly."  
  
She shook her head again. "Part of it's my fault that I said such upsetting things."  
  
"Hmm. That might be true, too." He chuckled at her crestfallen expression. "A joke, it was just a joke." Her expression didn't change and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "But there's a way to make it up to me if you wanted to."  
  
"How?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Well," he started then stopped. He shook his head. "No, it's probably too much to ask."  
  
"No, it's not!" she exclaimed automatically. She paused. "What is it?"  
  
He let out a little sigh, a melancholy look settling on his face. "It's just that sometimes I get lonely."  
  
"Oh." She looked sad. Then she frowned in puzzlement. "But what can I do?"  
  
He ducked his head, as if in embarrassment. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, to come and visit me once in a while. Maybe once a week." His shoulders slumped a bit. "I hardly ever get any visitors."  
  
It was a true statement as people only came to see him when they wanted something or if he was the one to request their company. Only now, he thought as he suppressed a smirk, he had the chance to maneuver Tohru into coming willingly. He knew full well how that would bother everyone else, especially Kyou and Yuki. But when she remained silent, he scowled a little and glanced up at her to find her gazing back at him with wide eyes. Speechlessness wasn't what he'd been expecting and, as seconds ticked on by with no word from her, he became puzzled, unsure what to make about her unusual reaction. Most people would have made some sort of comment by now.  
  
"It's a bad idea, isn't it?" he asked a bit cautiously, eyeing her warily.  
  
A big smile suddenly bloomed across her face as her clasped hands rose up to her chest and she leaned forward in excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she beamed brightly at him, taking him aback with her enthusiasm.  
  
"No!" she exclaimed. "It's a wonderful idea! It's an honor to be asked!"  
  
"Ah," was all he said, unsettled by her eagerness. He shook it off to question, "So you'll come by once a week?"  
  
"Yes!" Then she looked worried. "Does it matter what day of week?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well," she said apologetically, "I have school, a part-time job, and the house chores I usually have to do so-"  
  
"That's fine," he interrupted. "Tohru-san seems to have such a busy schedule. We can work around it." He shrugged. "I'm almost always here anyway."  
  
She smiled at him. "Thank you."  
  
An eyebrow arched. "I should be the one thanking you."  
  
"Eh?" She appeared puzzled.  
  
"For taking time to visit me when you're clearly so busy," he elaborated.  
  
"Ah!" She shook her head. "That's not necessary."  
  
"It isn't?"  
  
"No." She beamed at him. "I think it'll be fun to visit."  
  
"You do?" he asked, skeptically.  
  
"Yes." She gazed at him earnestly. "I always wanted to get to know Akito- san better."  
  
"You did?" He was startled.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
No one had ever said they wanted to get to know him better. Well, Shigure had said so off and on but Akito wasn't stupid; he knew the dog didn't really mean it. Akito knew that Shigure only said such things to placate him. Though the words had been said to him before, Akito had never heard them related to him so honestly and was curious as to what her response would be.  
  
Tohru cocked her head, thinking. It wouldn't do to say that her curiosity in wanting to know more about him had initially come attached with fear, especially after hearing Hatori's tale from Momiji and seeing how terrified Yuki had been when Akito had visited their school. To be that honest would be extremely rude, something she didn't think she could afford considering how she felt she had offended him during her visit yesterday. But she couldn't lie either so she did her best to answer as much polite honesty as she was able to muster.  
  
"For many reasons," she said simply. "There were many times when I wanted to talk to Akito-san but I didn't feel that I had the right to approach someone whose status was so elevated." She shrugged. "I didn't want to be a bother."  
  
She'd wanted to see him before? "Such as when?" he asked her.  
  
"Well, when I first got permission to stay and didn't have to have my memory erased after I found out about the Jyunnishi curse." She nodded, remembering. "I wanted to come and express my gratitude but Shigure-san told me not to bother."  
  
"Oh, did he now?"  
  
Though his tone was neutral, his thoughts were not. He'd never heard about this before and the fact that he hadn't made him angry though he was careful to mask the dark emotion from her. He always had a strong suspicion but here was proof that Shigure wasn't as forthcoming about relating information to him as he professed to be.  
  
"Yes," she said blithely. "Oh! And there was the first time I came here to see Hatori-san; I wanted to see you. But Hatori-san and Shigure-san didn't really seem to think it was a good idea that day. Although," she recalled, "I did get to see you after all because I saw you at the window when I was leaving, even though I didn't really know that was you at the time."  
  
"That's true. You did," he commented absently, his mind preoccupied with the news that Hatori had also been keeping things from him in addition to Shigure. Neither of them had told him about the details of that day when he had asked about it. Well, he'd figure out what to do with them later. For now, he turned on a charming smile for her benefit. "But now," he told her, "you can come and see me every week. You will, won't you? Even though you're so busy?"  
  
"Yes," she replied, smiling. "I will."  
  
"So it's a promise?"  
  
She nodded. "It's a promise."  
  
"Good."  
  
He nearly smirked, knowing that she'd do whatever she could to keep her promise once she'd given it. He had every confidence that she'd do her best to stick to it, no matter what Kyou or Yuki tried to do to interfere. But unless they physically restrained her, something he seriously doubted they'd ever work up enough gumption to do, he was certain that she would be back to see him. The knowledge brought him a wealth of satisfaction that made it easier for him to keep up his friendly façade.  
  
"Do you think you can come again on Saturday?" he asked her.  
  
"Well," she tilted her head, "I could but it might be a little late. I have to work part-time all day so I probably wouldn't arrive until six."  
  
"That's fine." He waved a hand airily. "After you've finished work, you can come here and have dinner with me."  
  
"Have dinner?" She blinked. "Here?"  
  
"Of course. The least I can do after you come all the way here after a busy day is to offer you something to eat." An eyebrow arched. "Or is it that you don't want to have dinner with me?"  
  
"Oh, no!" Horrified that she might have insulted him, she shook her head rapidly. "I didn't mean that at all. I'd be very happy to have dinner with Akito-san!"  
  
"Well, then. There's no problem, is there?"  
  
"Of course not," she replied immediately, not wishing to offend.  
  
He smiled. "I guess I've kept you long enough then. Especially since I asked you to come today on such short notice."  
  
"I was happy to," she was quick to interject.  
  
"That may be so but I'm sure you have many other things to do. So you should go now and come back on Saturday." He gave her a questioning look. "Can you find the way out by yourself?"  
  
"Yes, of course," she answered, taking his cue to leave and rising to her feet. "Until Saturday." She bowed. "Good-bye."  
  
"Good-bye."  
  
Once she was gone, he leaned back, resting his weight on his hand as he lounged lazily and thought about what had just transpired. Though things had not gone exactly as he had predicted them to, the results were the same. He attributed any tiny aberrations to the fact that he didn't know her well considering that he could count the number of times they'd met on one hand. But that would change over time as he got to know her better, he was sure. And then, he'd be able to adjust things according to his plan as he saw fit and manipulate everything to his satisfaction.  
  
He smiled, pleased. 


	2. Week 2: Dinner and Conversation

WEEK 2: Dinner and Conversation  
  
"Thank you," said Tohru.  
  
The kimono clad serving woman she addressed merely gave a nod of acknowledgment before exiting the room, leaving Akito and Tohru alone with the dinner trays, one for each of them, laden with their meal. Tohru looked down at the tray silently, wondering if she should start or wait for the head of the Souma family to begin eating first.  
  
Since the last time she'd come here, she'd gotten increasingly nervous about her upcoming meeting with Akito. Ever since she'd told everyone back at Shigure's house about her decision to visit Akito every week, she'd gotten no end to a string of warnings about needing to be extremely careful. Yuki and Kyou especially had been quite vocal about her needing to watch her step after their attempts to get her to not come at all had failed make her go back on her word. Even Momiji and Hatsuharu had added their own warnings and it had been obvious, when last she saw the little girl, that Kisa had been worried as well. Despite Tohru's replies to their concern that she would be fine, their obvious worry had made her anxiety multiply until she was a nervous wreck when the promised date to visit rolled around.  
  
"Tohru-san, aren't you going to eat?"  
  
Startled, Tohru looked up to find his dark gaze on her from his position directly across from her, looking at her questioningly and holding a bowl of rice in one hand and chopsticks in the other. He'd already started to eat. Realizing he was waiting for her to start in on her own meal, she hurriedly picked up her own rice bowl and chopsticks, selecting a bit of pickle with it from the several other side dishes neatly arranged on her tray.  
  
"Is it good?" Akito asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied after taking a bite. "It's delicious."  
  
"I'm relieved." Akito smiled. "I didn't know what to do if you didn't like it."  
  
"No, it's wonderful," she assured. "I like just about anything so there's no need to go to any trouble on my account."  
  
"Oh, it's no trouble." He waved a hand in airy dismissal. "I'm not the one who does the cooking anyway. Besides, this meal is nothing out of the ordinary here and it's pleasant to share it with someone else once in a while."  
  
"Eh?" Tohru blinked. "Does Akito-san usually eat alone?"  
  
"Of course." An eyebrow lifted. "Is that so strange?"  
  
"No, no," she rushed to say, anxious to not offend. "I'm sorry. I didn't to imply that it was odd."  
  
"That's okay." He shrugged. "Usually I take meals alone in my room instead of here. Having other people around can be so noisy and irritating."  
  
"Oh!" She looked suddenly worried. "Then am I intruding by coming here?" Her eyes widened in panic. "I don't want to do that! Maybe I shouldn't be here. I can come back later."  
  
Akito laughed, a pleasant sound. "No, that's fine." His smile was amused. "I wouldn't have invited you to dinner, after all, if I thought you were intruding."  
  
Tohru relaxed, relieved.  
  
She regarded him curiously as they ate. Despite the warnings everyone had given to her, she felt at ease for the moment. Akito had done nothing yet except be polite and friendly since she'd first arrived a short while ago, just before the trays of food had been set down in front of them. Then, just as now, she couldn't help but admire his looks. How could she not? Everything else in the sparsely furnished room was plain in comparison. His dark coloring was a perfect contrast to his pale features, giving him an almost ethereal type of beauty and, once again, she thought that his looks were a rival to Yuki's princely appearance.  
  
"What are you thinking about?"  
  
"That Akito-san's very beautiful."  
  
Then she froze, eyes widening at how she'd blurted out her unthinking response as a flush climbed her cheeks. She met his startled stare, wondering if he was insulted by her words just as Yuki often became bothered by any comments made about his looks. Hurrying to rectify any offense she might have given, she bowed rapidly as she apologized.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that."  
  
"Oh?" His expression was inscrutable. "Then you mean to say that I'm ugly?"  
  
"What?" She was horrified. "Oh, no!" She rapidly shook her head. "Of course not! Not at all! I meant no insult, really!"  
  
Akito suddenly chuckled. "Don't worry. I was just joking."  
  
"Then Akito-san's not insulted?" She appeared anxious.  
  
"Not really." He tilted his head. "Why? Do you think it's insulting to be called beautiful?"  
  
"No, but," she hesitated, "isn't it a bother when people keep saying so?"  
  
"It's not something said to me often."  
  
Which was true, he thought. After all, most people around him tended to remain silent unless he gave them permission to speak up. Members of the Souma family learned early on not to run off at the mouth around him for fear of the consequences should he become too annoyed over noisy and useless chatter. Thus, they usually refrained from speaking unless being called upon by him to do so.  
  
"Really?" Disbelief clearly colored her tone. "It's hard to believe."  
  
"Then, do you think I'm lying?"  
  
"No!" She shook her head vigorously. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply that either!"  
  
"Calm down," he told her, dark gaze resting upon her. "I was only joking again."  
  
"Oh." She was still upset, expression downcast. "But it seems that I just keep insulting Akito-san without even meaning to." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."  
  
At the heartfelt apology, Akito blinked. Usually, he had to drag apologies out of other people and, even then, they were emotionally lacking in honesty. He certainly wasn't used to someone apologizing to him so readily or with such feeling, especially over such a small thing. In a way, her emotions seemed to fluctuate just as much as his own did and thinking of such similarities unsettled him. But this wasn't the time for that. He had to get her comfortable with him, no matter how tedious a task he found it, and that meant reassuring her. He could reflect on his thoughts later.  
  
"It's okay," Akito said lightly. "I don't think you're being particularly insulting at all." He smiled handsomely. "In fact, I think Tohru-san's being quite cute."  
  
"Eh?" Her eyes widened, face turning bright red. "No, that's not true at all," she protested. "I'm really not."  
  
Akito schooled his expression into one of shock. "Are you saying that I'm wrong?"  
  
"Ah, well." Tohru's face spoke of her perplexity. There really was no other way to answer this. "Of course not."  
  
"That's right." He appeared pleased. "It's not very nice to argue when someone gives you a compliment. Don't you think so?"  
  
"Yes." Tohru sighed a little.  
  
"And you believe me when I say that I think you're cute?" His dark gaze was intent.  
  
It was obvious she really wanted to offer up another denial. Truly, her face was so expressive of her emotions that it was easy to see the inner battle she was waging with herself over whether to staunchly deny her appeal or concede to his opinion. But of course, as expected, the tide turned to his favor and she gave in.  
  
"Yes," she finally said in embarrassment, blush deepening.  
  
Feeling much more pleasant over his victory, he felt cheerful. "There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"  
  
"I'm sorry." She was still embarrassed. "It's just something I have a hard time believing. Even though Uo-chan and Hana-chan often tell me so."  
  
Akito's expression went blank as questions deluged his mind. Uo? Hana? Fish and flower? Were those really names? Or was she talking about a real fish and flower that she believed really talked to her?  
  
"Uo-chan and Hana-chan?" he asked warily.  
  
"Yes," she said happily. "Uotani Arisa and Hanajima Saki. My best friends."  
  
"Ah." He was relieved; they were only nicknames. She wasn't insane. "And what kind of people are your friends?"  
  
"Wonderful people," she answered brightly.  
  
He stared. The reply told him absolutely nothing. And he suddenly found himself curious about just what kind of people she considered friends, never having heard much about them before. After all, the kind of people that surrounded someone could reveal a lot about that person. That could be useful. So he tried to find a different method of questioning to get her to disclose more details about these mysterious friends of hers.  
  
"And how did you meet these 'wonderful people'?" His tone was friendly.  
  
"In middle school."  
  
Silence fell and Akito tamped down his annoyance at how hard it seemed to be to get her to elaborate on this particular subject. She was obviously enthused about her friends so why wasn't she bubbling over to talk about them more? Or was it just that he wasn't being specific enough with his questions towards someone so simple-minded? Either way, he tried to figure out another way to find out what he wanted to know.  
  
"Did you meet them both at the same time? Or different times?"  
  
"Oh, different." She nodded. "I met Uo-chan first."  
  
Now they were getting somewhere. "And how did you first meet her?"  
  
"I accidentally bumped into her at school so of course I had to apologize. But I forgot about the stack of notebooks I was carrying when I bowed to her." She sighed a little mournfully. "They went sliding all the way down the hallway. Uo-chan yelled a lot, too." She laughed. "She really helped me a lot."  
  
"I see." But he really didn't. Her explanation about her meeting with Uotani was confusing so he moved on, thinking he'd have better luck with the other one. "And how did you meet your other friend?"  
  
"Hana-chan? Uo-chan and I met her the first day she transferred to our school." She tilted her head. "I think it was in the middle of our eighth school year."  
  
"Transferred?"  
  
"Yes, there was some sort of problem caused at her school, I think." She beamed happily. "But I was lucky she transferred to mine and we got to become such good friends!"  
  
Akito remained silent, staring. Even he could read between the lines and tell that some sort of trouble had happened at the old school to cause this Hanajima person to transfer. Transferring in the middle of the Japanese school year was done easily and this definitely seemed to have some implication attached to it. But then how was it that this girl before him treated it as if it were nothing?  
  
"Ah!" she suddenly exclaimed. She dug into her pocket and withdrew a tiny wallet-sized book. "I have pictures if Akito-san would like to see?"  
  
"Yes, I would," he said, reaching for the miniature photo album.  
  
It opened in his hands to a photo of three girls standing side by side, Tohru in the middle. But it was the other girls she was sandwiched between that caught his attention. They were a complete contrast to her: one dressed in gothic black with a deep penetrating gaze that he found somewhat creepy and the other in an odd attire of a mask and a long jacket that he was disturbed by. Vaguely suspicious, he held the photo out to her, pointing to the blonde in the mask.  
  
"Which friend is this one? And why's she wearing this?"  
  
She leaned over to take a closer look. "Ah! That's Uo-chan." She laughed. "It's been a while since that picture was taken. That was back when she was still in the gang."  
  
"Gang?" How can she laugh while saying that? "And you didn't mind?"  
  
"Of course not." She looked surprised. "Why would I?" She smiled mistily. "It's like destiny, the legend of the Red Butterfly bringing us together and giving me a wonderful friend."  
  
"Red Butterfly?" He was definitely confused at this new twist.  
  
"Yes," she said happily. "Mother's nickname when she was in the gang."  
  
"Your mother was in a gang?" He couldn't conceal his surprise.  
  
Tohru nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, she was a legend. Uo-chan admired her a lot!"  
  
He glanced back at the photo of the trio of girls, masking his confusion over these surprising new revelations that were beginning to give him a headache because he was having a hard time making sense of any of it. His plan to question her about her friends and get to know her better was backfiring in a major way. Instead of understanding her, the mystery around her only seemed to be deepening in a way that he just couldn't figure out and the attempts of which were only leaving him tired and exhausted.  
  
But he was smart, he told himself. And she was obviously much simpler in comparison. No doubt it was because he was getting sick again, his body becoming fatigued and his mind slower to think which would explain why he was getting so confused and having trouble with directing the conversation. That's right, it had nothing to do with her but just that he wasn't feeling completely healthy. Under normal circumstances, a conversation like this would be no problem with his superior mental agility. He just needed some time to regroup and to rethink his strategy. Besides, he was the leader here, the head of a powerful family, and there was no possible way that he could lose to such a common and ordinary girl.  
  
But was she really so common, a part of him whispered, to keep such unusual friends?  
  
He brushed the annoying thought aside. Because it was wrong, he was sure. She was just another girl with nothing special about her. And she would fall in perfectly with his plans in all due time. But first, he needed to get rid of her and recuperate to get back to his full strength. It was an easy matter to deal with as he let his body slump a little in weariness.  
  
"Tohru-san?" He gave her a pleasant but tired smile. "Are you finished eating?"  
  
"Ah, yes," she said, looking at him with some concern. "Is Akito-san feeling alright? Should I call someone for help? Hatori-san?"  
  
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, waving away her worries. "I'm just a little tired that's all. I just didn't sleep very well last night," he lied.  
  
"Oh," she frowned. "Then I should probably go."  
  
"That would probably be for the best but I'm sorry." He appeared apologetic. "I didn't mean to have Tohru-san come here only for dinner, traveling all this way just to stay for such a short time."  
  
"That's alright," she assured. "I was happy to. And I don't mind leaving now." Her expression was sincere. "Akito-san's health is much more important so I should go now."  
  
Akito blinked. "Ah, thank you."  
  
"It's no problem." She stood up. "Then I'll leave Akito-san to rest if that's alright?"  
  
He nodded and held out the little album. "Don't forget this."  
  
She accepted it. "Thank you." She hesitated. "Is it really okay not to call for someone?"  
  
"Yes," he said, a little exasperated. Then he toned it down with a smile. "I'll be fine. I'll see you again next week. Is the same time okay?"  
  
She thought about it. "Yes, I think so."  
  
"Well, then." He gave a little wave. "Good-bye."  
  
"Good-bye," she returned and smiled with a polite little bow. "And take care."  
  
Then she was gone, leaving Akito alone in the silent room with his thoughts and the promise of another meeting to come lingering in the air. 


End file.
